Sadr bloc: Kurds can't be ignored in negotiations, forming government

Sheikh Salah al-Obeidi, Muqtada al-Sadr's spokesman in an exclusive interview with Rudaw says no government could be formed without "regard to the influential role" of the Kurds. Photo: Rudaw TV

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has a better record and performance and could be part of a bigger coalition, but his predecessor Nouri al-Maliki stands no chance, says Sheikh Salah al-Obeidi, Muqtada al-Sadr's spokesman, adding that no government could be formed in Baghdad without taking into account the important position of the Kurds.

"The main differences are between Sairoon and the State of Law coalition and it's all an accumulation of past events, including their prime ministers not having a clear agenda or vision during the twelve years they've been in power," Obeidi told Rudaw in an exclusive interview.

"During the term of Nouri al-Maliki in particular, when there was an enormous budget nothing was done and the budget wasn't used properly," he added.

Sadr's Sairoon bloc won the majority of votes in the May 12 elections and secured around 54 seats.

Obeidi said that the delay in forming a government is "technical because the federal court hasn't up to this point formally agreed on the final results of the elections and that has to do with the possibility of fraud and vote rigging."

Obeidi added that Sairoon looks more favorably at Abadi and could consider him for a coalition.

"To be honest the Nasr bloc of Abadi is different and we believe Abadi had a better performance," he said. "So his Nasr could be part of the bigger alliance that could be formed.

"Maliki stands no chance at all to be chosen as prime minister by us."

However, the Sadr spokesman said, "it won't be Sairoon alone that would choose who becomes prime minister. It'd be a collective decision by all the members of the coalition."

Sairoon and its leader acknowledge the position of the Kurds and they cannot be ignored in neither the negotiations nor forming a government, said Obeidi.

"The Kurds are an essential part of Iraqi politics and therefore no government could be formed without regard to the influential role of the Kurds," he stressed. "Mr. Sadr himself has stressed this at every turn and when he went to Baghdad among those he met with Kurdish delegations."

"There is also one thing," Sadr's spokesman continued. "The Kurds themselves haven't yet made up their minds as to whether they will come to Baghdad as one bloc or two in order to present their demands to the new government.”

Comments

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Muraz Adzhoev
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9/8/2018

Based on what he said it is absolutely clear that no new government and prime-minister will properly implement fundamental constitutional norms and principles of the treaty which was concluded 13 years ago between the holders of the deadly failed Iraqi federation (the Arab-Shiite community, the Arab-Sunni community and the Kurdish People) - so as overwhelming partnership, consensus and balance in governing within the federative union which has disastrously collapsed with catastrophic consequences. Iraq is historically, ideologically, politically and territorially divided into “Arab Shiistan-Sunnistan” and already self-determined multinational, multi-religious Southern Kurdistan. Iran and Turkey are not able any more to prevent establishment of sovereignly independent (Southern +Western) Kurdistan.

Just forever forget about the Kurds because the Kurds don’t want to be a part of a stinky nation with Arabs and Turks and nazis. Just get out of kurdish nations and fuck you somewhere else. We don’t want to be called Arabs nor irapies we are Kurds like you don’t want to be called Kurds because u think you are better while we think that you are deluded nonbelievers and untrustworthy thief’s and liars.